Young Callisto
by Blaspherion
Summary: A story I wrote about Callisto's life after her village was burned down to the time she goes looking for Xena.


**Young Callisto**

**YOUNG CALLISTO: Part 1 by Craig Barnhart**

Callisto joined the Youth Warriors Academy in Greece on her 15th birthday. While most girls her age were looking at the hottest styles of dresses and interested in catching the eye of the young men of Athens, she had other plans on her mind. If she was to slay Xena, she'd have to become the best warrior in all of Greece.

On her first day of class, the instructors laughed openly at her. How did this skinny blonde girl think she'd ever be able to keep up with the rigorous training they were going to put her through? It didn't really matter to them though; she had paid her tuition and if she wanted to humiliate herself, so be it. They figured she'd quit the Academy in 2 weeks any ways..

The first few months of Callisto's training were incredibly tough. The stronger young boys would toss her around, and sometimes grab at her feminine physique, insulting her with taunts like, "You should be in Beauty School!"... "Are you Aphrodite's little sister?" Even worse were the rumors that she had stolen the dinars to pay for the Academy in the first place. Taunts of her being a thief were common place, and Callisto had no choice but to keep quiet and take their abuse.

Nothing they could do to her, could match the hatred she had for Xena any ways. What harm were stupid jokes and taunts when Xena Army's had burnt her family to a crisp... They couldn't hurt her anymore than she had already suffered.

After 6 months, the laughing had stopped almost completely. She was already quicker and better at swordplay than all her classmates. The instructors marveled at how she would stay after class for hours, and work on her sword skills. What could motivate such a young student to work so hard; that her hands would be bleeding by the time she finally got done? If only all the students had the dedication she did... The other students still didn't like her, but she had at least gotten good enough to keep their insults to a minimum.

It was now 1 year into her training, and it was Parents Day at the Academy. All the parents of the students came from the surrounding Greek Countryside, to see the Students put on a display of Sword Play, Horseback Riding, etc. The Academy had this day to show the parents that their dinars weren't being wasted, and so that they could be very proud of their children and Greece's military future.

As the students gathered in the Training Grounds, one of the more brash and rude students named Lief mocked Callisto... "Where are your parents?", "How'd you afford to come here if you don't even have parents?!", "Your not only a thief, but your a bastardess as well!", "Hahaha, maybe you do have parents, but they were just too stupid to remember where they left you?"

Callisto SNAPPED. They could insult her all they wanted. But no one. NO ONE, would insult her parents. They were the 1 joyful moment of her life that she could remember. They were the only ones who had loved her, and no piss-ant boor was going to insult them. Right in the middle of the Training Grounds with all the students' parents watching; Callisto pulled out her sword and slashed it across the foolish young man's right-thigh, before he could even draw his sword.

Some of the parents cheered from the grandstands! They thought it was part of a skit or a training exercise... One of the boys then yelled, Callisto just attacked Lief! Before the instructors could get to the scene of the attack. 2 of the other boys decided to take matters into their hands...

"We've been holding back you stupid bitch! If the instructors wouldn't have stopped us, we would have beaten the Hades out of you a long time ago!" Callisto almost snickered, as they continued their insults while drawing their swords.. Whoooooosh, Slicccccceeeeeeeee! Callisto's blade slashed 1 young man across the arms, and another from the top of his forehead to the tip of his nose... The young men screamed in agony.

"You talk wayyyyyyyyy too much.", Callisto calmly responded... "Anyone else?"

The rest of the Students backed away. She had just taken out the best 3 students at the Academy (other than Callisto), and none of them felt like making fools of themselves in front of their parents...

Just then the Instructors arrived with swords drawn. "CALLISTO DROP THE SWORD NOW!"

SHE DIDN'T MOVE...

"DROP THE SWORD!"

Callisto smiled, "Take it, if you can..."

The 2 Instructors had heard enough from Callisto, and decided to end this before the parents all pulled their kids from the academy. They both lunged at Callisto at the same time, attempting to disarm her. Callisto merely back-flipped out of the way, to their astonishment, and laughed at their feeble attempt. They were pissed now. They came at her full bore. 2 veteran warriors, against a 16 year old girl. Callisto held her own admirably, but finally one of the instructors landed a sword blow across the back of her arm. The sword stung her terribly and she bent over in pain...

The instructors thought the fight was over, and lowered their swords.

The pain... pain... How her parents must have been in pain, when the fires of Xena's Army consumed them right before her eyes. How their nervous systems must have been burnt 1 nerve ending at a time. An agonizing death as could ever be... No, this mild pain wouldn't stop her... Nothing would. She would kill them all if she had too... Then she screamed...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYEEEEEEEEEEEE EE EEEEEEEEEEE!"

It was a blood curling scream that stunned even the 2 veteran warriors. Before they could lift their swords, Callisto was upon them like a whirlwind, moving impossibly fast. 1 Instructor went down in a heap after Callisto's blade had penetrated his stomach. The other began to turn around to run away, but before he could, Callisto walloped his knee-cap and split it wide open!

With both Instructors down and the 3 students likewise, a dead quiet came upon the scene. Suddenly all Hades broke loose as Parents began to come out of the grandstands at her, and suddenly she heard the Alarm Bells of the Town Militia...

Callisto turn and ran. Over the fence that surrounded the Training Grounds, and out into the suburbs of Greece. She knocked a merchant, who just happened to be riding by, off his horse. And then rode off towards the outskirts of Athens, with an angry mob slowly disappearing in the distance...

Callisto finally caught her breath and thought aloud to herself , "Oh well, I learned all I could from that place any ways... Maybe it's time I look for Xena..."

_-Craig Barnhart_

_February 2000_

**YOUNG CALLISTO Part 2 by Craig Barnhart**

Callisto made camp after riding away from Athens for almost 3 days. It was approaching night fall, and she quickly scouted the surrounding area, as she picked up several dry branches for a campfire.

As she watched the flames of her campfire begin to grow, she stared directly into them, thinking about the previous days events. She thought about the chaos that she must have caused back at the Academy. She wondered who'd they get to be the new instructors if she had killed them. Surely the one she skewered in the stomach must be dead. Somehow she thought her first kill would have upset her more. She had always heard the first kill was the hardest. Oh well, they had all deserved it. They had mocked her family, and she didn't even defend herself with lethal intent, until the instructors had tried to kill her.

As she watched the flames grow even higher, she thought back to the day in Cirra when Xena's army had destroyed her village, and burned her family to a crisp. She remembered the helpless feeling she had, and began to feel very sad. She steadied herself in her mind, and finally resolved that no one would stop her quest to make Xena suffer. The rest of the world didn't matter to her. Her world had been destroyed, their world meant nothing to her. She smiled ever so slightly and nodded off to sleep; content in knowing her resolve to destroy Xena, would keep the nightmares of Cirra away... At least for 1 night...

She awoke the next morning feeling slightly refreshed. She hadn't slept much in the past 3 days because she knew a patrol of soldiers was probably trying to track her down. Now 3 days away from Athens, she felt a little more comfortable, and figured they had probably given up trying to catch her. She hopped on to her horse which she hadn't bothered to name yet, and rode west in the hopes of hearing some information about Xena's army...

She rode all day and really had no idea where she was, but she really didn't care. She liked the quiet solitude of the forest. After an entire day's ride and she began to make camp yet again... Then she heard the SCREAMS, and shouts... Off in the distance, maybe a mile away... Callisto thought it must be a village, and figured she could get there before dusk fell upon her campsite. She could use some tasty food, after living off the forest for the last 4 days.

As Callisto approached the Village, she heard the screams grow louder...

"Kill the witch!"

"Burn that evil bitch!"

"Please No!"

Callisto pretty much ignored the screams. It wasn't her concern and all she wanted was some food any ways. She found a little path that led into the village, and tied her horse to a tree nearby. She walked down the path and saw a bizarre scenario playing out in the village.

A man in black robes, and 2 other LARGE men wearing swords, were holding a woman by the wrists in the center of the platform. The man in robes began to speak...

"For the Crime of worshipping the Pagan Goddess Aphrodite, you shall be burnt at the stake!" The crowd cheered! "Repent of your evil and we may spare you, and only give you 20 lashes!" More cheers from the crowd came, "REPENT YOU BITCH!", 'HERA IS SUPREME!", "REPENT!"

The woman, who had obviously already been beaten and dragged onto the stage, looked terrified. Somehow she gathered the courage to speak... "I worship Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, I will always worship her and not your Hateful Goddess Hera!"

'BURN HER!', screamed the crowd. "BURN HER AT THE STAKE!"

Callisto didn't like the fact they were going to burn the poor woman, but she also was amused by the entire scene. All these people fighting about Gods and Goddess's all the time, and none of them had probably even seen the Gods they worshipped! She wondered why Aphrodite and Hera didn't show up right then and duke it out... She figured that Aphrodite was probably busy doing her hair, and Hera was such a bitch she could care less what her followers did. There wasn't much she could do for the woman with the executioners surrounding her any ways, so Callisto decided to look around the village.

With the whole village looking on towards the stage in the middle of town, Callisto figured it was a good time to steal some food and supplies. She saw a nice table full of various foods when she heard a little girl's scream amidst the crowd.. 'NO! MOMMY! PLEASE LET HER GO!' The little girl pleaded for her mothers life, and the man in black robes grabbed her as she climbed on the stage. The girl who was maybe 5 years old, froze in terror, and the man in black robes screamed at her.

"Let this be a lesson to you little girl! This is what happens when people worship lesser Gods! Hera is Supreme!" The executioners then tied the woman to a wooden stake, and began to light torches.

The little girl screamed, "MOMMY NOOOOO, MOMMMY!'

Callisto's hand no longer reached for food:, it was clutched on the pommel of her sword. She stared blankly into the distance, her heart racing. She remembered crying for her mother and her family, as the rafters of her house in Cirra came crashing down upon them, engulfing them in flames.

Callisto then began walking towards the stage, and her anger built with each scream of the little girl. She was now running full speed and leapt upon the stage just before the men set the woman on fire. SLASH! One of the large guards went down with his head nearly cut off. The other guard dropped his torch and fumbled to draw his sword. SLASH, SLICE! Callisto's blade struck deep into the mans chest, and she kicked him back off the blade.

She whirled around and saw the man in Black Robes holding a dagger to the little girl's throat. "Stay back! Or I will cut her throat!", he hissed.

Callisto with pure hatred in her voice spat back, "Do It! I'd rather see her die, than to have her watch her mother being burnt alive!" Callisto swung her sword at the mans head and he instinctively reached up and tried to block the thrust with his knife and arms. It was too late and Callisto blade cut a deep gash right across the man's eyes, leaving him screaming in a huddled clump of robes, on the stage.

The little girl was fine, and the mother was still in terror tied up on the stake. Callisto in a blur of motion cut her free and turned to face the crowd. Several of them started to make a move towards the stage but stopped. They weren't warriors and this woman had just killed the only 2 fighters the town had. Callisto screamed, 'WELL CMON!'

A couple people from the crowd tried to hop onto the stage, but Callisto cut them down before they could even get completely on it. Cries of "Hera help us!" rang out. Callisto screamed, "Hera isn't going to help you! No one is! COME ON!" 2 more people in the crowd who were too close to the stage got slashed and cut badly. The entire crowd began to back away and Callisto was about to jump into the crowd and start cutting them all down, when the woman on the stage yelled from behind her, "Please help me and my daughter get out of here.."

Callisto, the woman, and her daughter, all jumped off the back of the Stage, and circled around in the woods, back to her horse.

The 3 of them rode away on Callisto's horse, and the woman gave Callisto directions to a Temple of Aphrodite they could stay at. Callisto wasn't too happy about having traveling companions for a week, but they were quiet enough, and the woman was a really good cook. They reached the Temple a week later, and the woman and the little girl, told the worshippers what had happened back at their village. They all thanked Callisto and asked her to stay at the Temple for a while.

Callisto declined their offer and asked if any of them had heard anything about Xena's army? The looked on in shocked and wondered why she would want to know about that? Did she want to join Xena's army? Callisto laughed, and said she wanted to know where it was, so she could stop it!

The Worshippers at the Temple were amazed that such a young girl could be so brave, and asked Aphrodite to give her blessings. Callisto turned away from the Worshippers and told them she must be going, and the little girl ran to Callisto and gave her a hug, which she half-heartedly returned.

As she left the Temple she could still hear the Worshippers... "Aphrodite, please bless that one." "Aphrodite, please guide Callisto's path."... Callisto leapt onto her horse (which the little girl had named Midnight), and rode off.

Callisto headed off to the North, still thinking about the Temple... "Aphrodite's blessing indeed. A lot of good those blessings did that woman back at the village!", Callisto muttered aloud.

2 miles up the road, a dozen of Greece's best cavalry awaited. They were stopping people who traveled along the road, and were looking for a blonde woman on a black horse, who had murdered several villagers in a town about a week ago, and who had also killed an instructor back at the Youth Warrior Academy in Athens.

Callisto was riding right towards them, when suddenly she came upon several large tree's that were blocking her path... It was quite odd, cause the tree's hadn't been cut, and it looked like they had just been pulled out by the roots.

Callisto stopped her horse. She sighed, then went down a smaller side path that led to the west...

Up on a hillside overlooking the blocked path, sat a Gorgeous woman with tears in her eyes. She had just looked into the riders heart and mind, and could barely find a trace of love left within. Aphrodite sat puzzled as to why someone with so much hate in her heart, would help one of her worshippers.. She looked deeper into Callisto heart and saw that Callisto's love had nearly been snuffed out entirely by an event that happened when she was just a little girl... More tears formed in Aphrodite's eyes. There was nothing she could do for Callisto

Aphrodite began thinking about the love that Callisto once had for her mother as a little girl. And about how much the little girl and mother, that Callisto had saved, loved each other. Then she thought about her relationship with her own mother Hera. Why did things have to be like they were between them. Why did her mother refuse to be loved...

Aphrodite sighed, then wiggled her nose. The trees that had once blocked the path, were now standing straight up...

_-Craig Barnhart_

_February 2000_


End file.
